Children of Narnia
by Duchess of Beruna
Summary: If the Pevensies had married and had children during their time in Narnia, how would the story have been different? When they are taken back to England, their children begin a thrilling search for them through Narnia and our world. Rating may change. Written for a request made by Reading Pixie.
1. Chapter 1

**This is an AU-ish fanfiction, for the reason that there are three main differences from the original Narnia books – firstly, that the Pevensies never got back to Narnia after** _ **The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,**_ **secondly, that the train crash at the end of** _ **The Last Battle**_ **never happened, and finally, that during their time in Narnia, the Pevensies married and had children. I hope that makes sense. Enjoy!**

 **This fanfiction is written for a request by fellow Narnia fan** **Reading Pixie** **. All credit for the original idea goes to them.**

It was a glorious day, they sort of day that made you feel as if the world was laughing. The sun was shining on the wide Eastern Sea, and on the tall turrets of Cair Paravel, and on the face of little Prince Jacob, only son of High King Peter the Magnificent and his wife, Abigail.

Jacob hurried down the castle steps, and ran through the orchard to the path that led to the castle. Trailing behind him were his cousins, Ariel, Faelyn, Layton and Cosmo. The five children stopped suddenly on the path, looking around them with eager expressions. They were waiting for something – but what?

They didn't have long to wait. Suddenly, all five children heard it – the pounding of horse's hooves against soft earth.  
"Look!" shouted Ariel, pointing in excitement.

Over the crest of the hill came the four Kings and Queens of Narnia, riding splendidly. The sight of these four sovereigns, riding side-by-side into a battle, would have been enough to make the bravest of enemy warriors turn and run in fear. But the children waiting outside the castle were too young to know about battles, and to them the Kings and Queens were only their beloved parents, aunts and uncles.

The riders wheeled their horses to a stop next to the children and swung down from the saddles. They were a splendid sight, these great rulers, just returned from a meeting with the Naiads of the river Rush. Tall, warrior-like King Peter, eldest of the four, High King over all Narnia, reaching out to ruffle his son's hair. Queen Susan, stately, graceful, a smile on her beautiful face as she bent to embrace her daughter. King Edmund, thoughtful and wise, a grin lighting up his usually solemn features as his children rushed to hug him. And golden-haired, bright-eyed Queen Lucy, laughing with her eyes and lips as she swept up her little son into her arms.  
Feared and respected though these great sovereigns might be, they were still parents, and they loved their children dearly. Chattering and laughing, the little party began to make its way up to the castle, the Kings and Queens leading their horses behind them.

In the fifteen years since Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy had stumbled through the wardrobe into Narnia, they had greatly improved the country. They had driven out the all the foul creatures that had been on the side of the White Witch, and they had abolished the cruel, tyrannical "schools" that had been the norm during her rule. They had set up new schools, where one could actually enjoy learning, and they had formed new alliances with neighbouring countries, and they had proved to be kind and fair rulers, and had not cracked under the stress of leading a country, as so many rulers do.

And they had all fallen in love. Over the long years, as the Pevensies had grown, they had each found their heart in another person, a person that you would think would have little to do with a monarch.

Peter had been out riding one day near Beaversdam, when he had heard cries coming from a small peasant's cottage. Upon investigating, the King had discovered a girl being beaten by her enraged father. When Peter had intervened, the man, apparently not realizing he was speaking to the High King of Narnia, had told him to "mind his own business". That was enough for Peter. In ten seconds flat, the peasant was unconscious on the floor.  
After talking to the girl a few minutes, Peter had learned that her name was Abigail Greenwood, and that she'd been her father's drudge since her mother had been killed by one on the White Witch's raiding parties. Realizing that she couldn't stay in her present location, Peter had offered Abigail sanctuary at Cair Paravel. After her initial shock upon learning that the handsome young man she'd been talking to was the High King, Abigail had accepted the offer. Over time, Abigail and Peter had grown closer together and had eventually fallen in love. Their wedding had been the biggest celebration anyone alive in Narnia could remember.

Susan had met her husband, Timothy Menamine, when he'd come to the castle to carve a dining table. He was a carpenter living in the West of Narnia, and the Kings and Queens had heard of his remarkable skill with woodcraft. Susan had met him only briefly, when she was paying him for the table, but she'd been struck by his liquid, dark eyes and shy smile. He came back many more times, to fix various tables and chairs, and soon he and Susan were seeing each other regularly. In any other country it would have caused a great scandal, a Queen daring to love a simple carpenter, but this was after all Narnia, and things were done differently there.  
Susan had had dozens of suitors in the past, but none of them had ever made such an impression on her as Timothy did. After they had known each other nearly a year, Susan and Timothy were married, and all of Narnia rejoiced that their beloved Gentle queen had finally found love. 

Edmund's wife was the fairy Belissa, one of the Fair Folk who lived in the far west of Narnia, beyond Lantern Waste. Belissa had been captured by a giant during the last years of the White Witch's reign. The giant (who, by the way was called Kragglefist) had captured her in the hope that she would use her magic to lure travellers to his castle so he could eat them. For years, he'd kept her locked up in his castle, until she'd managed to escape. Belissa had heard the story of how King Peter had rescued a peasant girl, and it had occurred to her that the Kings and Queens might also offer sanctuary to a fairy. It took her many days and nights, but at last Belissa was able to escape. Knowing that Kragglefist would be after her, she made her way to Cair Paravel as fast as she could. When she reached it, she begged shelter, which the Kings and Queens were only to happy to provide. The monarchs led a search for Kragglefist, but they never found him. Perhaps realizing that the Pevensies would be after him, the wicked giant had fled to the north, and was never seen again.  
Back at the Cair, Edmund found himself increasingly drawn to the mysterious fairy. He thought her the most exquisite creature he had ever seen. Belissa, in return, was charmed by the Just king. Like his two older siblings, Edmund had found love in the most unexpected place.

Lucy's first encounter with her husband was perhaps the strangest of all. Amberline Braxton had been gathering herbs in the forest near Beaversdam when he had heard shouts coming from a nearby clearing. Running to the scene, he found Queen Lucy severely outnumbered against five Efreets who had once been part of the White Witch's army. Lucy had managed to dispatch two of the creatures, but she had been wounded in her sword-arm, and was tiring. She couldn't hold out much longer.  
Amberline rushed into the conflict. He was armed with nothing more than a staff, but he had the element of surprise, and he knocked out one of the Efreets before the other two realised what was happening. Working together, Lucy and Amberline defeated the other two. After thanking Amberline profusely for saving her life, Lucy insisted that he come back to Cair Paravel for a feast. It wasn't long before she realised she was in love with him. Taking the advice she had given to Susan, Lucy just straight-up told Amberline her feelings. To her amazement, he confessed he felt the same about her. They had a quiet wedding – well, as quiet a royal wedding could be.

Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy took their horses around to the stables, the joined their children in the Great Hall. Abigail, Timothy, Belissa and Amberline gathered around them as the four monarchs settled themselves on their thrones. They loved their families dearly, but as Kings and Queens their country must be attended to.

"Well, and is there any citizen wishing to see us?" Peter asked one of the guards by the doors. The guard nodded.  
"Only one, Your Majesties. The Faun Tumnus. Shall I show him in?"

"Mister Tumnus!" cried Lucy in delight. She was always happy to see her oldest Narnian friend. "Yes, show him in at once!"

The guard disappeared, and returned a moment later with Mr. Tumnus. The little faun hurried towards the thrones, practically dancing in his excitement. Lucy began to rise to greet him, but stopped when she saw his manner. This was not merely a social visit. Tumnus had news for them.

"Your Majesties!" cried Tumnus, bowing hastily. "Your Majesties, I bring great tidings from the west of Narnia."  
"What is the news?" asked Edmund, leaning forward.  
"A great event has passed, one that has not occurred in these parts for many a year." continued Tumnus. "Only this morning" – he paused dramatically—"only this morning, the White Stag was sighted in Lantern Waste!"

There was a moment of stunned silence, and then everyone began talking at once. They all knew the story of the mysterious White Stag, who would grant you a wish if you could catch him.

Lucy turned to her oldest brother, her eyes shining. "Oh, Peter, don't you think we should go after him?"

"But why, Lu?" Peter asked. "We have everything we need. What would we wish for?"

"Oh, not to get wishes." Lucy said impatiently. "Just to see the stag, to speak to him! They say he is the wisest creature in all Narnia, apart from Aslan."

"It would be pleasant to go hunting." spoke Susan. "We have not been for several months."

Peter turned to Abigail. "My dear, what say you? Would you be able to manage the castle in our absence?"  
Abigail smiled. "Of course, Peter. After all, it is only for one day." Timothy, Belissa and Amberline voiced their agreement with her statement.

Peter rubbed his hands together. "It is settled, then. Tomorrow we hunt the White Stag. Send word to all the lords and ladies of the Court, inviting them on the hunt."

OOO

The next day dawned bright and clear. Before the sun was fully up, the four sovereigns of Narnia and their court had assembled outside the castle, ready to go hunting. Their spouses and children were farewelling them as the mounted their horses.

Peter kissed his wife and then bent to ruffle his son's hair. "Look after Narnia while we are gone, Jacob." he said teasingly. Jacob grinned up at him. "I will, Father."

Peter smiled at him, and then mounted his horse. The rest of the hunting party was ready to go, and together they turned their horses to the castle gates and trotted away. Jacob, Ariel, Faelyn, Layton and Cosmo waved and called their goodbyes after them before walking back inside the castle.

Perhaps, if they had known what was going to happen when the Kings and Queens rode out to hunt the White Stag, they would have said a longer, more profound farewell. But, after all, they had no idea of what was about to befall Narnia. How could anyone have known what would happen that fateful day? How could they?


	2. Chapter 2

**(ducks as heavy things are thrown at me) SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY TIMES INFINITY I AM THE WORST WRITER IN THE HISTORY OF WRITERS I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING IN LITERAL MONTHS PLEASE FORGIVE ME**

 **Alright, in all seriousness, I really am sorry. I know there's no excuse for leaving you guys hanging for so long. I hope you enjoy this chapter anyway. Happy reading!**

 **This story is based on an original idea from fellow Narnian** **Reading Pixie** **. The Chronicles of Narnia belong to C.S. Lewis.**

It was a gloomy, rainy day, the sort of day that made you feel as if the world was weeping. The trees bent under the weight of raindrops and the earth was damp and muddy, but inside Cair Paravel's Great Hall, the entire room glittered and gleamed with candlelight.

Prince Jacob lit the first of the four enormous candles at the low table in front of the thrones and stepped back to let Ariel light hers. This ritual, the lighting of the candles, had been carried out every year since the four Kings and Queens of Narnia had gone out hunting the White Stag and had never returned. It was now five years since their disappearance, and the kingdom had given up all hope of them ever returning.

Jacob closed his eyes, thinking back to that terrible day when his father, uncle and aunts had vanished. The courtiers that had gone hunting with the monarchs had reported seeing Their Majesties ride on after the stag while the rest of the party had rested. After an hour, when the four had not returned, the party went to look for them. They had found the monarchs' horses tethered to trees outside a thicket, and had realized that they must have followed the stag into the dense undergrowth. Yet, after searching the thicket and clearing until nightfall, they had found no trace of the Four.  
Jacob could still remember the moment that the Lord Peridan, Narnia's senior official behind the monarchs, who had accompanied them on the hunt, had come into the throne room and announced that the Kings and Queens were missing. He could still remember his mother turning pale as she realised that her husband had not returned to her.  
For weeks after that, all of Narnia had been frantically trying to find the four sovereigns. Talking Animals had scoured every inch of Narnia's forests and glades. Dwarves had dug into the earth to see if they were hidden somewhere underground. Nothing had worked. The Kings and Queens were well and truly missing.  
At last, the citizens of Narnia came to the conclusion they had all been dreading. Everyone knew the story of how the Kings and Queens of Narnia had come into Narnia through a wardrobe in Lantern Waste. Mr. Tumnus even testified that he had first met the Queen Lucy under the lamp-post that still grew there.  
It was obvious that Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, by some strange magic, had stumbled back into their own world. They could not be found because they were simply not in Narnia, nor in the rest of that world any longer.  
At this realization, all of Narnia went into a period of mourning for their lost rulers. Prince Jacob, as the eldest child of one of the Four, was made King Jacob of Narnia, with his mother to rule as Queen Regent until he was old enough. But with their four beloved Kings and Queens gone, Narnia was simply not the same, and even five years later, the country felt their loss deeply.

Jacob shook himself out of his reverie at the sound of his mother beginning the prayer that always accompanied the lighting of the candles. "Aslan, we thank you for the lives and the reigns of the Four Kings and Queens of Narnia, who served their country so nobly. We thank you for King Peter…"

They always prayed to Aslan on these occasions. He was, after all, the closest thing Narnia had to a god, and he had supposedly created Narnia.  
Jacob had never seen Aslan. He knew that the Lion had saved Uncle Edmund from the White Witch, although he wasn't quite sure how – his father had always promised to tell him the full story when he was older, and now he never would.

"…And we hope that, wherever they are, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are safe and happy." Jacob chimed in to the prayer with the rest of his family. They all bowed their heads in silence for a moment, and then, the ritual over, stepped back.

"What was my mama like?" Cosmo asked his father, Amberline. Of all the children, he was the only one who could remember nothing about the four King and Queens.  
Amberline crouched down beside his son. "She was the bravest and the strongest woman in all Narnia, Cossie. Her smile was like sunlight on water and her laugh…" He shrugged. "Well, anyone who heard her laugh was changed forever."  
"And do you miss her, Papa?" Cosmo asked.  
"Yes, Cosmo." Amberline replied simply. "Yes, I do."

"We all do." Timothy chimed in. The tall, dark-haired carpenter had never been the same since his wife had disappeared. "And my Susan."  
Ariel hugged her father. "Don't be sad. Mother would want you to be happy."

There was a tapping of hooves on the marble floor, and they all turned to see Mr. Tumnus coming into the throne room. The Faun had never fully recovered from the shock of losing the four Kings and Queens, especially Queen Lucy, his dearest friend. He blamed himself for their disappearance, as it was he who had told the rulers about the sighting of the White Stag. This was nonsense, of course – he wasn't to blame for their loss – but no-one could convince him otherwise.

"Your Highnesses, Lords and Ladies?' Mr Tumnus sounded heartbroken, and Jacob thought he knew why – today he, like the rest of Narnia, would be mourning the loss of the Kings and Queens. "The – the merchants from Terebinthia have arrived."  
No one was surprised - they had been arranged for the delegation from the island country to arrive. The merchants were bringing goods from Terebinthia to trade for Narnian swords and wine.

Abigail nodded, composing herself. As the Queen Regent, she would be overseeing the trading, checking that the Terebinthian goods were up to standard and negotiating what the merchants would receive in return. "Thank you, Tumnus. Now then. Jacob, why don't you stay with me to receive the merchants?"  
"Me, Mother?" Jacob was surprised. Normally, his mother preferred to go about her duties as Regent alone, claiming that she didn't want to burden anyone else. For her to ask Jacob to accompany her was unusual.

"Yes." Abigail said decisively. "You need to learn how to negotiate and bargain, Jacob. It will be a useful skill when you are king."  
Her words sent an uncomfortable jolt through Jacob. He knew it would not be much longer before he would have to become Narnia's acting ruler. There were some – not many, but some – who said that he should have been made King already. After all, hadn't Jacob's own father been only thirteen when he became High King? And Jacob's aunt, the Queen Lucy, had been only eight when she ruled alongside her brothers and sister. Cosmo's age.  
Jacob hated to admit it, but the idea of being King was not a pleasant one to him. The idea of so much responsibility, so much power, was daunting, to say the least. For years, people had been talking about when he was "ready to rule" but Jacob didn't think he would ever be ready.

He dismissed his thoughts as his mother settled herself onto the throne that had once been Peter's and motioned for Jacob to sit on Susan's. The servants carefully moved the table with the candles to one side, and, when she was ready, Abigail motioned for the doors to be opened.

Jacob leaned forward eagerly as the traders stepped into the room. He was not particularly curious about seeing them because they were Terebinthians – Jacob had been to Terebinthia before – but everyone knew that merchants were a completely different people entirely. They never settled for long in one place, but were always moving about, and they were some of the most curious people you could hope to meet.

The two men and one woman stepped up to the thrones and bowed deeply. They were dressed in the pale robes of Terebinthia, but with various jackets, waistcoats and belts, probably accumulated on their travels, over the top. They straightened, and one of the men addressed Abigail.

"Your highness. You honour us with your presence. I am Ricardo, leader of this company. We have brought fine silks and hand-crafted ornaments to trade."

"Very well." replied Abigail. "Let us see them then."

The man clapped his hands, and four men – presumably the merchants' servants – entered the room, carrying various boxes and bags. They opened them to reveal the goods the trader had spoken of.

Jacob stopped listening as his mother brought in the Narnian goods and began negotiating prices. He found this sort of thing rather boring, and he would much rather be out riding in the forest. It was such a nice day, such a shame to waste it…

"Thank you, your highness." said the leader of the merchants. He gestured for his servants to pick up the box of swords and casks of wine that he had traded the silks for.

"Just a minute!" interrupted Abigail. "What's that?" She pointed to one of the items the traders' servants were holding. It was a Terebinthian ornament that had not previously been negotiated on. Abigail was leaning forwards to study it, green eyes narrowed. "Bring it closer." she ordered.  
The servant carried the object over to the thrones, and now Jacob could see what it was.

It was a large and very beautiful mirror, hand-crafted and with delicate gold filigree around the edges. The jewels set into the gold sparkled and caught the light as the servant held it up. Jacob could see the reflection of the room inside it, but it was strange. The colours, the lighting, the shapes… everything in the reflection seemed just a bit bigger, a bit brighter, a bit… more.

"This mirror was crafted by Terebinthia's greatest craftperson, Lady Dorenza, your highness." said one of the merchants. Jacob saw with surprise that it was not the leader, but the female merchant who had spoken. "It is a very rare and valuable piece."

"How much for it?" demanded Abigail.  
"Two more swords, your highness." replied Ricardo.  
"Done." answered Abigail. Jacob looked at his mother in surprise. The mirror was beautiful, but, compared to Cair Paravel's many ornaments and furnishings, it was little more than a trinket. He could see no reason to trade two of Narnia's excellent swords for it.

Abigail gestured for a footman to bring two more swords as the trader's servant placed the mirror by her throne. Jacob was still puzzling over why his mother wanted the mirror so badly, so he did not listen much to the traders as they thanked the Queen Regent and departed. As soon as they had, Abigail addressed the footmen and guards in the room.  
"Please leave us for a moment." she said. "I wish to speak with my son in private."  
When the room was empty, Jacob turned to Abigail. "Mother, why did you trade two swords for that mirror? What use is it to us?"  
"Hush, Jacob." Abigail chided him. "This is not just a mirror. I have…" She hesitated. "My son, I have a gift for sensing magic in things. I tell you plain as day, this mirror is enchanted in some way. I know not how, but it is."

Jacob stared at her. An enchanted mirror? Surely not. Why would traders be in possession of an enchanted mirror? "But how…"  
"Please." said Abigail. "Do not speak of this to anyone. It might be that this mirror is dangerous, Jacob. I knew I had to have it in the castle. It could be, possibly, that it is a portal of some sort. If so, it could help us learn where your father and your aunts and uncle disappeared to."

Jacob realised, suddenly, why his mother had been so desperate to own the mirror. If it could help them learn where the kings and queens were, then of course no price was too high to pay for it. But his mother was right in asking him not to tell anyone about it. The last thing Narnia needed was false hope that their rulers would be returned to them – and it could well be false if Abigail was wrong about it.

He nodded. "I won't tell anyone, Mother." he promised.  
Abigail's face cleared. "Thank you, my son. And now, we must see to putting this mirror up. It will look well in the Entrance Hall, don't you think?"

OOO

Two weeks after the merchants had visited, the mirror had shown no signs of being magical, and Jacob was beginning to doubt that it was. In the time it had hung in the Entrance Hall, the mirror had not shimmered, glowed or revealed any hidden portals. Things did not even look bigger and brighter in it, as they had when Jacob had first seen it. It just hung there, very pretty, but not at all remarkable.

Jacob could see it now, standing in the Entrance Hall with his mother and Uncle Timothy. The two Beavers were also there, telling the tree nobles about a mysterious and disturbing change they had noticed to the Great River, which flowed past their dam.

"Changed nearly overnight, it did." Mr Beaver explained. "One day it was clear and fresh as you please, the next it was all dark and murky. Sort of like black ink, it was."  
"And toxic, too." put in Mrs Beaver. "All the fish were dying, poor things."

Abigail frowned. "This is quite alarming. Have you any idea of what could have caused this?" Both Beavers shook their heads.

"It could be coal mining." Timothy put in, and everyone turned to stare at him."  
"Coal mining?" Abigail asked. "Whatever do you mean?"  
Timothy coughed. "Coal mining often causes coal dust to get into streams and rivers, turning them black and killing fish. Perhaps the Dwarves of the Northern Mines have been mining a large amount of coal recently?"  
But Mr Beaver was shaking his head. "Sir, I've been living on that river for more than fifty years. In that time, the Dwarves have mined coal, gold, silver, iron, copper and rubies. There's never been a darkness in the river like this one."

"It's not a problem somewhere else." said Mrs Beaver. "There's something wrong with the river itself."

"It could be." agreed Abigail. "I will have to consult with the Centaurs. They know much about matters such as this. Beavers, I thank you for coming to the castle to tell us of the disturbance in the river. Please, be our guests at the castle tonight."  
"It was nothing, dear." Mrs Beaver said warmly. "It was the least we could do, you know, for your good husband's sake, and his sisters and brother. We Beavers never forget our debts, you know."

Abigail directed a page to show the Beavers to the guest wing, and motioned to Timothy and Jacob hat she wished to speak to them. Before any of them could say a word, however, they heard a strange, piercing cry from above. Swooping down out of the sky came an Eagle. It was Silverwing, the sharpest-eyed creature in all Narnia.  
Silverwing landed and bowed to each of them in turn. "Your Royal Highness, Your Highness and Your Grace." she said, speaking in the strange, song-like way of the Eagles, "I bring grave news. I have come from flying through the land, and going back and forth in it. I have seen a sickness and a danger in the land. A disease of some sort is affecting the Dryads and Hamadryads, the people of the talking trees. Look! A messenger is coming from their people!"

At once they saw a tall, tall figure coming out of the trees to meet them. It was like a man, but not like a man – something different in the shape of the face and the colouring told them that it was a very old Hamadryad, the spirit of an oak tree.

"Woe!" he cried. "O Highness and Leaders, woe! A great tragedy has befallen my people!"  
"Speak, noble Tree." called Timothy "What is this tragedy?"  
"A disease that turns the bark of trees black and destroys them." rumbled the Hamadryad. "A dark stain that seeps into the very heart of trees. Already, two Talking Trees have fallen to it. Many common trees that do not speak have been taken by it also. The disease is spreading. Soon it will kill more!"

Abigail and Timothy glanced quickly at one another, and Jacob knew they were thinking the same thing. Was this disease the same as the one that had polluted the river?

"There is no time to lose." Abigail decided. "We must send a group of healers to the afflicted Trees." She turned to the Hamadryad. "Master Oak, will you lead us there?"

OOO

Hours later, after organising a dispatch of healers to tend to the Trees, Abigail returned to Jacob and Timothy. They were back in the Entrance Hall, waiting for Belissa, Amberline and the younger children to return. They had been fishing for pavenders, not because there was any great need for them, but just to relax. Jacob sometimes envied his cousins, that they might go off on trips like this at their leisure, while he must help his mother with ruling.

Ah! There they were, coming out of the trees, talking and laughing. Once again, Jacob felt that twinge of envy. He forgot it, though, as Ariel gave a glad shout and ran to meet them.

"Father!" she cried, running up the castle steps. "We had such a lovely time. I caught –'' but they never found out what she caught, because just then the incident that stayed with Jacob for the rest of his life occurred.

The long floor runner in the Entrance Hall was slightly creased, and as Ariel ran towards her father, her toe caught the creased part. She went flying, straight towards the mirror, the one Abigail had believed to be magical.

Jacob flinched, expecting a crash as Ariel hit it but instead….  
As Ariel fell into the mirror, the glass shimmered and rippled like water, and then, very simply, Ariel disappeared.

" _Ariel!"_ shouted Timothy.

Jacob stared. One second Ariel had been there, the next she had not. He half expected her to pop out of the mirror, laughing, her dark hair blowing about her face and her eyes shining. But no, she was gone.

And now Timothy, with the thoughtless desperation of parents when their children are in danger, charged across the Hall and leaped into the mirror after Ariel.  
Jacob gasped in horror, but it turned into a low cry of shock as Timothy's head appeared back out of the mirror a second later.

'Quickly!" he cried. "Everyone, through here! You must all see this!"  
And he vanished once again.

"I knew it!" breathed Abigail. "I knew the mirror was magical!"  
Without another word, she raced towards the mirror and dived in.

Jacob felt stunned. His cousin, uncle and mother had all disappeared in a matter of seconds. But now Abigail appeared through the mirror and gestured for all of them to follow her. "Come through!" she cried. "It's quite safe!"

There was as second's pause, and then, all at once, Belissa, Amberline, Faelyn, Layton and Cosmo all rushed for the mirror. One by one, the leapt through, until only Jacob was left. He stared at the mirror. What to do? On one hand, leaping into a mirror with no idea of where you would end up could only be described as foolishness, despite his mother's assurance that it was safe. On the other hand, he did not want to be left here alone to explain to all of Narnia why his whole family had suddenly vanished.  
All this went through Jacob's head in a second, and then he set his teeth, ran towards the mirror and jumped through.

The sensation was of falling through icy-cold water, but he was not wet. He landed with a gasp, nearly bumping into Amberline.  
Jacob had a vague impression of a large room, filled with children sitting at desks. At the front of the room – where they were – was a tall, dark-haired man, wearing what seemed to Jacob to be the strangest kind of clothes.

But he had no time to think about this, as the next second Faelyn had darted forward and embraced the man, crying out, as if she had gone mad, "Papa! Papa! Papa, papa, _papa_!"

 **Hope you guys liked it! Again, sorry for the long wait.** **Reading Pixie** **, thank you for being so incredibly patient. Stay tuned, everyone!  
See you,  
Duchess**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yet again, this is waaaay overdue. And it's pretty short, so** _ **yay me**_ **(that was sarcasm). I'm sorry. I really am. You guys shouldn't have to wait six months for an update every time. Well, enough self-deprecation.**

 **This story is based on an original idea from** **Reading Pixie** **. Once again, I'm sorry.  
Narnia belongs to C.S. Lewis (he's dead, but he still owns it, because logic). I own nothing but my OCs.  
Enjoy, my friends.**

At Faelyn's words, Jacob felt nothing but shock. Uncle Edmund? This strange, slight man – hardly more than a boy – King Edmund? Unthinkable.

But now Belissa, too, was running to the man, throwing her arms around his neck, clinging to him and sobbing. "Edmund!" she cried. "Oh, _Edmund!_ "

Edmund staggered slightly. Belissa, although tiny, was surprisingly strong. The children sitting in rows – Jacob now realised that this must be a sort of school – were staring, open-mouthed at the scene. A few were laughing. Most seemed to be in shock.

"Faelyn," said Edmund, and Jacob was surprised by how familiar his voice still sounded, "my dear – please – let go of me."

Faelyn released her father, taking a step back. There were tears on her face, and she made no effort to hide them.  
"Crybaby!" One of the boys on the front row of seats laughed and pointed at her. Instantly, Faelyn rounded on him, her face flushing. "Shut up!"

"Faelyn!" Edmund said, with as much severity as a man could muster with his wife nearly choking him. "That is _not_ a respectable attitude for a princess!"  
"But, Father..." she said, her voice trailing off at the look on his face. Jacob didn't understand it either. Not only was Edmund relatively calm about the entire situation, he seemed almost angry.

"That's enough." Edmund said, and suddenly he was the Just King again, dealing with a petty thief or an arrogant page or a warrior shirking his duty. Never cruel, but always stern. "Class dismissed." He looked up at his students. "You may all go out to the playground."

With a scraping of chairs, the children left, and Edmund turned to face his family.  
"How – how is this possible?" He looked absolutely confounded. "How is it you have all come here to England? Is this Aslan's doing? How much time has passed in Narnia? And" – he looked down at Belissa, still clinging to him – "Dear wife, will you please release me?"

Belissa finally relinquished her hold on Edmund, while Abigail, Timothy and Amberline began to explain everything to Edmund – the four monarchs' disappearance, the merchants, the mirror. He listened closely, his dark eyes attentive, while Ariel looked around the room. She'd seen schools in Narnia, though as a princess she'd been educated with a tutor, not at school. This was a little like a Narnian school – the rows of desks were similar, but the books, the blackboard and the maps were very different.

"How many years is it since we left?" Edmund interjected.  
"Five." replied Abigail. "We had given up all hope of ever finding you."  
Edmund shook his head. "It has been nine years here. I would have thought much more time had passed in Narnia – we had no way of knowing."  
"Where is Peter?" asked Abigail. The longing in her voice as she said her husband's name was evident. "And Susan? Lucy?"  
Edmund hesitated. "Susan is here at the school." he said. "She also works as a teacher." Ariel's heart thumped. _Her mother was here._ "Lucy is at home, and Peter is studying at Oxford, but he's on holiday now."

Somewhere in the school, a bell rang.

"Come," said Edmund "that's the bell for the end of the day. We'll go back home and see Lucy."

"But – Susan!" Timothy protested. "You said she was here. You wish me to leave without even seeing my wife?"

Again, Edmund hesitated. Ariel felt a spark of fear. Why did he look so uneasy? Was there something wrong with her mother?

"Susan's very busy." Edmund said carefully. "Large class, lots of work to mark, all that. She might not want…"  
"To see her husband after being separated for five or nine or Lion knows how many years?" Timothy snapped. "This is ridiculous. Where is she?"

"Upstairs, second door on the right." Edmund said miserably. "But I must warn you, Timothy…"  
But Ariel's father wasn't waiting. He walked briskly out of the room, Ariel trotting at his heels to keep up. Her heart was singing. Her mother! She was going to see her mother!

The second door on the right was slightly ajar. Ariel pushed past her father and ran in.

She was there. Smaller and slighter than Ariel remembered, her black hair done up in curious curls, wearing a sensible blue schoolteacher's dress. She was wiping words off the blackboard, her back to the door.

"Mother!" Ariel cried. Behind her, she heard her father enter the room. "Mother, it's me!"

Susan turned, slowly. The duster dropped from her hand. She stood quite still, staring at the two of them, her mouth a perfect "o".

Ariel ran to her and hugged her tightly. She shut her eyes tight, tears squeezing out, and for a moment everything was perfect. Then a pair of thin hands forced her back and Susan was staring down at her with a mixture of shock and revulsion.

"Who are you and what do you want?" demanded Susan Pevensie.

 **That last sentence was kinda depressing to write. I think I'll go eat something now.**


	4. Chapter 4

**If you follow this story, you'll probably noticed that the time between updates is getting longer and longer. I'm sorry. Back when I first started writing fanfiction, life was a lot easier. My writing's getting slower. I am not going on hiatus – don't worry – but I don't think I'll be writing very fast any time in the foreseeable future. Again, I'm sorry.**

 **This story is based on an original idea from** **ReadingPixie.**

 **C.S. Lewis owns Narnia.**

 **Abigail, Jacob, Timothy, Ariel, Belissa, Faelyn, Layton, Amberline and Cosmo are my original characters.**

Jacob knew something was wrong as soon as he heard the shouts. When Ariel and Timothy had run out of the room, no one had known quite what to do. Follow Ariel and Timothy, or let them meet Susan in private first?  
Then Jacob had heard the shouting – horrible, angry, from upstairs – and ran to them.

As he reached the top of the stairs, the door of a classroom banged open. A woman ran out, a man chasing after her, calling for her to come back. Aunt Susan and Uncle Timothy, Jacob realised, but why were they running? It made no sense for Susan to flee upon seeing her husband and daughter. He tossed the thought aside and hurried into the classroom.

Ariel looked up at him. She was huddled against the far wall, her face blotchy with tears. She sniffed and stood up as he moved towards her.

"Ari." he said. "What happened?"

She stared at him, and her face was very white. "Mother." she whispered. "My mother. She – she doesn't remember me. She asked me who I was." Her voice rose to a wail. " _She doesn't remember_!"

The words bounced around in Jacob's brain. They didn't make any sense. Not remember? How could Queen Susan – _Aunt_ Susan – not remember her husband and daughter? Had she been afflicted with some kind of memory loss? He'd heard of such things happening, people waking up unable to recognise the faces of their friends and family, but he had never thought it would happen to _his_ family.

"It'll be alright." Jacob promised, his mind whirling. "Maybe she was just – just shocked to see you. And Timothy. We'll figure this out, Ari." He glanced at the open door. "Did you see where they went?"

Ari shook her head, sniffing. "I'm sorry."

"That's okay. We'll ask Uncle Edmund. He knows this school." Jacob held out his hand to Ariel. "Come on."

OOO

"I'm sorry you had to be reunited with your mother like that, Ariel." Edmund said. He looked down at her, a mournful look in his brown eyes.  
I don't understand." whispered Ariel. "Why doesn't she remember me?"

Edmund was silent for a long moment, and then he sighed. "I don't know. A few years after we returned from Narnia, Susan started saying – well, she started saying that it hadn't been real. That it was all a game we made up."

Ariel gave a low cry of agony, but Edmund continued.

"It was gradual. Slow. It started as her changing the subject whenever we talked of Narnia. Then leaving the room. Then denying it had ever existed at all." He bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Ariel."

At that moment, the door flew open. A wild-eyed Timothy stumbled in, looking like he'd had his soul sucked out.

"My wife – my Susan." He was panting. "She does not remember me – we quarrelled – she ran." He broke off, clearly too overcome with emotion to speak.

Edmund moved to stand beside his brother-in-law, talking quietly to him. Jacob saw Timothy's shoulders slump at whatever Edmund was telling him.

Jacob looked around. His mother was talking to Amberline in a corner of the classroom, her hands moving in agitation. Jacob guessed that she, too, knew about Susan and the way she had forgotten everything. Belissa was sitting with her children and Cosmo, entertaining them by making books fly around their heads. When your aunt was a fairy, you got used to sights like that.

Jacob felt a light tap on his shoulder. Edmund was behind him, looking sober. "I've telephoned Lucy." he said, and then, seeing Jacob's puzzled expression, "A telephone is a way of sending messages here. She'll be here any minute."  
"How much did you tell her?" asked Jacob, cheered that his happy, carefree aunt would be arriving soon. She was just what they needed, Lucy with her bright way of dancing from one thought to the next like a butterfly.

"Everything." said Edmund grimly. "She deserves to know. Her husband and son are here, after all. But….." He sighed. "She…well, when Susan began to forget, Lucy took it the worst. She didn't understand." He suddenly looked a lot older, and Jacob had a brief flash of realization of how difficult it was for his uncle, with his family newly returned but not even being able to properly spend time with them because of all these problems.

 _The life of a king is not an easy one._ Jacob heard his father's voice as clearly as if he'd been standing next to him. He swallowed, and put his hand on his uncle's arm.

"Let's go meet Lucy." said Jacob, prince of Narnia.

OOO

Jacob stared at the woman whizzing towards them on a - was bicycle the word Edmund had used? It looked uncomfortable. The woman's green coat flew behind her and her golden hair was coming undone. She was laughing, laughing as she stumbled off the strange machine and stumbled towards them.

Jacob stared at the woman – no, _the girl_. A girl not much older than himself, young enough to pass for his sister. He could not believe that this girl was really his aunt, the respected and beloved Queen Lucy of Narnia.

And yet Amberline was staring at her like she was some rare and beautiful flower. "Lucy?" he breathed. There was shock and joy and love mingled in his eyes.

Lucy smiled like the sun. "Amberline." she said. And then she looked down, and her smile grew even brighter. "And Cosmo. My son!" She swooped down to embrace him.

Cosmo looked up at the bright, laughing lady who swooped down over him, and burst into tears.

Jacob looked around wildly. Everything was going wrong. Susan didn't remember her family. Cosmo didn't remember his mother. There was still the constant worry of the strange blight back in Narnia, and they were stranded in a totally unfamiliar land, with no way of getting home.

 _Aslan._ thought Jacob. _Please, please send us some kind of help._

Edmund clapped his hands. The sharp sound cut through Cosmo's wails, and Lucy's distress as she tried to comfort her son, who was terrified by the affection of this strange woman. Everyone turned to look at the King.

"We can't stay here." Edmund declared. "People will be leaving work soon, and you all look like you've just come from a fancy-dress party." He indicated Jacob, Abigail, Timothy, Belissa, Ariel, the twins, Amberline and Cosmo. They were all still in their Narnian clothes – rich silks and velvets, which looked very out of place on the drab street. "We need to go someplace where we can rest and figure out this situation. That blight you mentioned, Abigail – that will need research. And we need to meet up with Peter and find a way to get back to Narnia."

"You have someone in mind, Edmund." Lucy said. "Don't you?"

Edmund nodded. "We will go to Professor Kirke."

 **Does this count as a cliffhanger?**


End file.
